1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to methods of teaching and systems for improving a golfer's skill and ability, and more specifically, methods and a system useful in determining whether a golfer's golf swing motions are properly executed and for assisting in the muscle memorization process to retain the correct motions needed for properly swinging the golf club.
2. Description of the Related Art
Golf is a sport that has become exceedingly popular all over the world. It is estimated that about two million people in the United States alone take up the game of golf every year. However, about as many people leave the game each year, largely because they are disappointed and frustrated over their inability to improve their golf technique. It is generally believed by leading golf instructors that it is difficult to improve at golf because (a) the essential fundamentals of a good golf swing feel unnatural to our bodies, (b) all natural instincts of students are absolutely wrong, (c) correct habits must be practiced over and over again to develop new and correct habits (“muscle-memory”) and (d) while practicing to develop new muscle-memory, students must not be practicing bad habits that result in bad muscle-memory that will eventually have to be unlearned. As generally believed by leading instructors, bad muscle-memory is harder to unlearn than it is to learn good muscle-memory from the start.
To improve their abilities, many golfers take lessons from professional golf instructors. Although such lessons can teach an individual the fundamental skills needed to play the game, these golfers are most often not able to improve their golf club swing as much as desired because of a lack of guidance when practicing outside of the instructional setting. Most often students practicing without an instructor revert to, and practice, what feels natural but is in reality bad technique, thereby developing bad muscle-memory. As an alternative to lessons, self-instruction systems have been developed to allow golfers to improve their game by themselves. This approach has a downside in that such systems must be used in the proper fashion to create positive results, which is often difficult for a beginning golfer or for high handicap golfer who may have already developed bad habits. Further, even if used properly, these systems are often not proven to aid in proper development of a golfer's club swing technique because, as believed by leading instructors, golf is not a sport that can be self-taught; only with good coaching and correct practice can the naturally wrong instincts be replaced with the correct fundamentals that initially feel instinctively wrong.
Finally, a deficiency with both professional lessons and self-instruction systems is a lack of a reliable means for monitoring correct “setup position” and monitoring correct balance during the entire swing. Without a way to monitor correct “setup” and “balance”, most students fail to practice them correctly to develop the correct and necessary muscle-memory. Instead they develop bad muscle-memory.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,617 of Bergman describes a practice mat for golfers that indicates the suggested placement of the feet of a golfer and a golf ball to be hit, the proper alignment of a golf club in relation to the feet of the golfer and the golf ball, and the suggested direction of travel of the head of the golf club. The mat has a plurality of outlines in the shape of a foot to indicate the suggested foot placement based on the chosen golf club. Also, numerous rectangles are indicated on the mat for placement of the golf ball based on the chosen golf club. However, the practice mat of Bergman does not provide a means for the student to monitor and isolate any position of their body during swinging of a golf club, nor does it aid in prohibiting a golfer from introducing excessive motion sideways, up or down into their technique.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,617 of Light shows a sports training system having a full length mirror to reflect the image of a student and a combined television monitor and video cassette player to depict the optimal positioning and technique of a participant in the selected sports activity. Thus, a golfer could view their image in the mirror while watching a monitor below the mirror show the proper way to swing a golf club. This system does not teach proper foot positioning or proper club alignment for swinging a club, nor does it provide a means for a golf instructor to designate as such. It is also doubtful that a student of the system could view a monitor showing an ideal golf swing while observing their own swing in a full length mirror. Further, the large mirror size and lack of proper indicia would not allow the system to properly isolate a golfer's excessive motion sideways, up or down to enable correction of a flawed golf club swing. This system also lacks convenient portability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,307 of Krene describes a golf training system comprising a platform on which a golfer stands, a platform upon which a golf ball placement indicating means is located, and a mirror located between the two platforms to enable the student to see their golf club swing as they hit the golf ball located on the adjacent platform. The system comprises three units that are hinged together along longitudinal edges and the mirror is swivably mounted in a frame such that the angle of tilt of the mirror can be adjusted. However, Krene does not teach a system that can be used in conjunction with golf instruction having indicating means capable of being adjusted to tailor such a system to the needs of a specific golfer. Not only are the foot placement means and ball placement means not adjustable in position or angle depending on the needs of a particular student, only the angle, and not the position of the mirror can be adjusted. Thus, depending on the student's physical size, skills, or other factors, the mirror would have no way of being properly positioned such that the student could observe the proper features of their swing to identify excessive lateral and/or vertical motion. Such a mirror in the Krene invention is also excessively large and has longitudinal lines that would be ineffective at isolating a small portion of a student's swing, again preventing the student from pinpointing excessive lateral and/or vertical motion in their swing. Further, a student of the Krene system could not accurately view a small portion of their image while focusing on a golf ball to be hit off of a platform adjacent to the mirror.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,462,955 of Glancey describes a swing practice apparatus which comprises a rigid indicative-touch-effecting arm structure that has a length substantially equal to the proper distance which should separate a golf club shaft from the top of the student's elevated shoulder at the end of the golfer's backswing. The free end of the arm structure is adapted for shoulder contact and the shaft attaching means is provided at the opposite end of the arm structure. A student using the Glancey system, however, only receives feedback at one point—the end of the backswing—while practice swinging the golf club. Another limitation to the Glancy system is that it must be attached to a stick or golf club. A third limitation of the Glancy system is that it may only be used by the individual using the golf club to which it is attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,306 of Cody comprises a golf swing training apparatus for generally improving a golfer's golf club swing technique. A rigid hand grip is connected to one end of a flexible, tubular shaft. The other end of the shaft is connected to a ball. The system has a required overall length that just fits between a vertical aligned with the outside of one arm of the golfer, the arm resting at the golfer's side, and the wrist of the golfer's other arm when the other arm and hand are jointly stretched horizontally. A threaded shaft-length adjustment connector is included at a point along the shaft for adjusting the overall length of the shaft. In use, the overall length, the flexibility of the tube, and the weight of the ball combine to result in a swing action such that on each correctly executed backswing the ball gently touches one side of the golfer just below the golfer's other arm. Likewise, on each correctly executed foreswing follow-through, the ball gently touches the other side of the golfer just below the one arm of the golfer. However, on each incorrectly executed backswing or foreswing, the ball touches the golfer either more forcefully or less forcefully than with a correctly executed swing. The golfer thus receives a tactile feedback indication of the correctness of each swing and is thus able to improve swing technique. A limitation to the Cody apparatus and method is that only the practicing golfer may use the apparatus and the feedback is only differentiable from the force of the contact of the apparatus.
As an improvement over these methods and systems for golf swing improvement, it would be desirable to have a system and method of golf instruction that would ideally be used in conjunction with proper professional golf lessons. The system would have various visual and tactile indicating means that can be adjusted by an instructor to ensure each individual student observed proper positioning form when preparing to swing a golf club and maintaining balance during the golf club swing. Such a system should also include means to allow the student to monitor and isolate a specific problem with their golf swing, namely excessive motion sideways, up or down, (i.e. lateral and vertical motion) whether in the company of an instructor or not, to ensure that proper technique is being used. A further benefit of such a system would be portability allowing the system to be used in either the location where instruction is taking place or wherever the student desires to practice their golf swing.
Thus, what is needed is a system and method for a golf instructional program to aid a golfer to develop a proper golf swing. The method and system will designate proper setup positioning and alignment for a student's feet, hands, and head, the center of the body and golf club handle position (distance from the body) and the angle of the shaft. The system further includes an instruction manual that can enable a golfer to successfully practice their golf swing frequently at any location to correctly muscle-memorize what a golf instructor taught during each of a series of lessons. The system would ideally also include a mat useful in designating proper set up positioning and alignment and golf swing balance. An arm wedge useful in practicing the first half of a golfer's backswing (i.e., the “takeaway”) is also included as part of the system. A simulated golf ball may be optionally included with the system, and is placed in a position that helps the student practice the shaft angle recommended by the instructor. A mirror would also be included with the system to allow the student golfer to isolate and monitor the position of his or her head, specifically the eye position, while practicing a golf swing to ensure that head movement does not exceed the instructor's recommendations. Also vitally important to the system is the ability of a golf instructor to adjust the arm wedge, position indicators, the mirror and the simulated golf ball based upon the individual needs of the student, as the muscle flexibility of the golfer increases with practice. Further, the inclusion of a wand that either the golf instructor or another helper may hold close to different parts of the student's body to determine if the golf swing is correctly executed.